Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Marshmallow lollipops are easy to make and will add color to any party table. Simply dip marshmallows into chocolate and decorate with sprinkles, shredded coconut, crushed candies of your choice. You can choose colored sprinkles to match the theme of you party.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg of Large Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows
• Hershey's Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet, dark or white)
• 1 Tbs of Crisco shortening (to make chocolate easier to work with)
• Sprinkles

Other Items

• Chocolate Double Boiler melter, chocolate melter or microwave safe bowl
• Wilton Lollipop Sticks
• Clear cello treat bags (if you want to package them individually)
• Ribbon or colored twist ties to secure bags
• Tag or small flag to attach to sticks if you are displaying.

.

Directions

• Melt white, semi-sweet or dark chocolate. We used the Wilton Chocolate Melter to melt our chocolate. After our Chocolate Melter broke we used a Double Boiler Pot but you can also melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Since microwaves vary, times will vary. Heat until just melted.
• Insert lollipop sticks into the marshmallow almost half way.
• Dip marshmallow into chocolate a little more than half way.
• Tap stick gently while slowly rotating the stick to remove excess. The rotating of the marshmallow makes it smoother all around. Keep the stick upright as you rotate to keep the chocolate from making drip marks.
• Add sprinkles or candy decorations. You can sprinkle directly onto the marshmallow or have a small bowl of sprinkles to dip in. Place on parchment paper to set. It will not stick if you use parchment paper.

Individual Pops for Favors

These make cute favors for kids birthday parties. Also cute to bring in something small to your child's classroom if they allow home made treats. Great for school fund raising bake sales too. You can find the lollipop wrappers at Walmart, crafts stores or Amazon which come in a set including the lollipop sticks, bags and colorful twist ties.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Centerpiece Idea

Here's a fun way to serve your marshmallow lollipops. Arrange it in a bouquet in a party themed dish with other decorative items. We used white chocolate in this instance to let the smaller sprinkled stand out. Add some colored grass to match and you've got a perfect centerpiece for any celebration or party.
Customize your lollipops by using different colored sprinkles to match the party colors. All types of sprinkles can be used and you can add a small candy on the top to dress it up. We had some cute heart decorative sprinkles on hand that we used.
Dry this one standing up especially if you place anything on top of the marshmallow. Using a lollipop stick, poke holes into a piece Styrofoam about 3 inches apart so lollipops won't touch each other while drying. Be sure Styrofoam is large enough that it won't tip while the pops are in it drying.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Topping Ideas

• Crushed candies like Heath, Butterfingers and Snickers. Chill in the refrigerator for easier crushing.
• Cookie toppings like graham crackers or oreos
• Small candies like mini m and m's.
• Sprinkles of all colors. Generally the smaller and flat sprinkles will work best. Chunky sprinkles may fall off easier.

Containers and Fillers

We had fun trying different toppings on the Marshmallow pops and arranging them in various containers. Cut a piece of Styrofoam to fit your container and to hide the Styrofoam we found the best was using shredded colored paper. Covering it with a layer of candies looked really cute and festive but this was a big temptation for the little ones not to grab the loose M & M's. For parties and celebrations with young children the shredded paper would probably work better.

Tips for Making Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

• Chocolate should be warm not hot. Chocolate scorches very easily and will taste burnt if heated too long. Microwave 60 seconds on 50% power, stir well, and repeat 30 seconds at 50% power until melted.
• We found best results with the brands we listed but there are other options to sub if you wish. We like the flavor of the Kraft Marshmallows best but use your favorite brand of marshmallows or chocolate.
• Adding shortening can make your chocolate smoother and easier to work with. I have found this to be especially true for white chocolate.
• Individual treat bags with colored sticks and ties can make this into really cute party favors.

How to Store and Freeze

Keep chocolate covered marshmallows fresh by storing them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for about seven days, or it can be stored in the refrigerator. Chocolate dipped marshmallows are best enjoyed fresh but they can be frozen in an airtight container, freezer Ziploc or Fresh Saved (sealed without vacuum) for up to two months. Wrapping them with saran wrap can help to prevent moisture from building up.